According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), Germany’s consumer prices saw a marked increase in April. The inflation rate, measured as the year-on-year change of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), reached 2.9%. This represents an acceleration of general consumer price inflation compared to the previous month, which had stood at 2.7%, and compared to February, when it was 1.9%.
The main factor contributing to this rise is the ongoing pressure on energy costs. Destatis reported that overall energy product prices were 10.1% higher in April compared to April of the previous year. This surge in energy costs builds on the steep increases seen in previous months, contrasting with the prior-year fall of -1.9% experienced in February.
Statisticians attribute these notable price increases primarily to global developments, specifically conflict activities in the Middle East and the resulting volatility in the crude oil market. Within a year, fuel prices registered especially sharp gains, rising by 26.2%. Likewise, light heating oil, used in household energy, saw a significant increase of 55.1%. Despite these steep rises, overall household energy costs remained stable due to government interventions, registering a slight decrease of -0.3% compared to the previous year, largely because benefits, such as reduced fuel taxes, were scheduled to take effect later in the month. Electricity, natural gas, and district heating remained cheaper than the previous year, continuing a trend of price moderation.
Regarding food, prices rose by 1.2% compared to the corresponding month last year (previously showing a 0.9% increase). Major increases were observed in sweets-including sugar, marmalade, and chocolate, which rose by 9.7%-as well as fish, seafood, meat, and fruits (all up 3.6% to 3.7%). However, consumer prices for food fats and oils declined sharply (-13.9%), and processed potatoes and dairy products saw moderating prices. Notably, egg prices surged by 14.6%.
Looking at goods and services, the CPI report indicated that overall goods priced 2.9% higher than the previous year. Consumer goods increased by 4.2%, while durable goods rose by 0.6%. Beyond energy and food, other goods contributed to inflation, particularly non-alcoholic beverages (which rose by 4.1%, with coffee, tea, and cocoa rising by 11.2%) and tobacco products (6.2%). Offsetting this, there were notable price declines in household large appliances (-2.4%) and consumer electronics (-6.1%).
Service costs also followed an upward trend, increasing by 2.8% year-on-year. Services for social institutions showed particularly strong inflation at +6.8%, as did combined passenger transport (+6.2%). Increases were also seen in vehicle maintenance and repair (+5.0%), leisure and culture services (+3.9%), and accommodation services. However, some services offered more savings, such as package holidays, which were less expensive by -3.5% compared to the previous year.
On a monthly comparison, the overall CPI climbed 0.6% in April compared to March. This month-over-month rise was driven mainly by continued increases in energy prices-which rose 2.1% above February-and food inflation (which climbed 0.4% from March). While consumers felt a noticeable increase when purchasing light heating oil and fuels, other commodity goods, such as fresh vegetables (+4.4%) and potatoes (+3.3%), were more expensive, while fresh fruit saw a decline of 1.0% compared to the previous month.
The Federal Statistical Office also provided specialized inflation metrics: without energy, the inflation rate stood at 2.2%; excluding heating oil and fuels, it was 1.9%; and the core inflation rate (which excludes food and energy) was 2.3%.
